Denver metro skyline, the market Arvada short-term rentals draw from
Colorado STR Markets · Denver Metro · Jefferson & Adams Counties

Arvada STR Investing

Olde Town Arvada · Ralston Creek · Candelas · West Arvada

Denver only licenses a primary residence. Arvada, right next door, still lets an investor permit a whole home. The catch is a tighter rulebook that took effect May 1, 2026.

By , licensed Colorado broker (license IR.100066325) · Published · Updated

See the Portfolio
Investor Permits
Allowed
Primary or non-primary home
Night Limit
240 / yr
Guest-occupied days per year
4BR Asking Rate
$316–$456
Middle half, next 12 months
Occupancy
About 63%
4–6BR market, past 12 months

Rates and occupancy: PriceLabs market data for 171 comparable four-bedroom listings in Arvada (occupancy across 4–6 bedroom homes), pulled October 24, 2026. Rates are current asking prices for the next 12 months, not booked rates. Occupancy covers October 2025 to September 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Investors can permit a whole home in Arvada, primary or non-primary, with a city STR permit and a business license. Denver, next door, only licenses a primary residence.
  • Since May 1, 2026, the permit goes to one person who owns at least 20% of the property. An LLC can own the house but can't hold the permit.
  • Guest stays are capped at 240 days a year, and one person can run up to three STRs in the city. Permits don't transfer on a sale.
  • Covest checks who will hold the permit, whether projected nights fit under the 240-day limit, HOA covenants and whether the house passes a certified inspection as-is.
Is an Airbnb Legal in Arvada?

Yes, for Investors.
With Real Limits.

Arvada allows short-term rentals in a primary or non-primary home, which makes it one of the few places on Denver's west side where a straight investment property can still be permitted. You need two things from the city: an STR permit and a business license.

The rules were rewritten by Ordinance No. 4917, with the main changes effective May 1, 2026. Three of them matter most to a buyer. The permit has to be issued to a real person who owns at least 20% of the property, so an LLC can own the house but cannot hold the permit. One person can run up to three STRs in the city. And a property can host guests for no more than 240 days a year, with an annual rental log to prove it.

That last rule is the one people miss. The Arvada market ran about 63% occupied over the past year, roughly 230 nights. A strong listing can hit the cap, so a pro forma that assumes 80% occupancy is counting nights you can't legally book.

The Rulebook

Arvada STR Rules,
Line by Line.

What the city requires before you list, and what changes when a property sells.

Permit + business license
STR permit from Community & Economic Development plus a City of Arvada business license. Stays must be at least 2 nights and under 30.
Required
Primary residence
Not required. A permit can cover a primary or non-primary dwelling.
Investor OK
Who holds the permit
One natural person, 18 or older, with at least a 20% ownership interest (or a named trust beneficiary). An LLC can own the property but can't be the permit holder.
Watch
Permits per person
Up to three STRs per person in the city, one per lot, and one reservation at a time.
Cap: 3
Night limit
Guest occupancy of up to 240 days a year, documented in an annual log.
240 days
Before you apply
Third-party certified home inspection within 30 days of applying (and annually), floor plan with egress and detectors, maintenance plan, $1M liability insurance, and a notarized affidavit that adjoining neighbors were notified.
Paperwork
On a sale
The permit ends when ownership transfers and does not run with the property (Land Development Code 3-1-5-3). A buyer applies fresh.
No transfer
Summarized from the City of Arvada's STR pages and FAQ and the Land Development Code, checked October 2026. Rules change; confirm with the city before you buy.
Market Numbers

What Arvada STRs
Are Asking.

Across 171 comparable four-bedroom listings, the middle half of asking rates for the next 12 months runs $316 to $456 a night. Five-bedroom homes (132 comps) ask $392 to $543. These are asking prices, not what guests actually paid.

Occupancy across four- to six-bedroom homes averaged about 63% from October 2025 to September 2026. July was the high point at 79%, and February the low at 52%. Thanksgiving week is the biggest single spike, which tells you this is a family-visit market as much as a tourist one.

What a specific house will earn depends on things a market average can't see: bedroom count, sleeping layout, parking, the street, and how close it sits to the 240-night ceiling. That's the part I run for clients.

Before Any Offer

What I Check in Arvada

The public rules get you to "allowed." These are the questions that decide whether a specific house works.

  • Who will hold the permit, and whether you're already at three in the city.
  • Whether projected nights fit under the 240-day limit, or the plan needs mid-term stays to fill the gap.
  • HOA covenants, which can ban STRs even where the city allows them.
  • Whether the house passes a certified inspection as-is, and what it costs if not.
  • Where the council is heading. The city has discussed tighter limits before, so I underwrite for the rules getting stricter, not looser.

Looking at an Arvada house?

Send me the address. I'll tell you whether it can be permitted, what it should realistically book under the 240-night limit, and whether the price makes sense.

Send Me an Address
Arvada STR FAQ

Questions Investors Ask Us

Q.Can you run an Airbnb in Arvada if you don't live there?
Yes. Arvada permits short-term rentals in a primary or non-primary dwelling. You need a city STR permit and a business license, and the permit must be held by a natural person who owns at least 20% of the property.
Q.Can an LLC hold an Arvada STR permit?
No. Since May 1, 2026 an LLC or an individual can own the property, but the permit itself is issued to one natural person 18 or older with at least a 20% ownership interest, or a named trust beneficiary.
Q.How many nights a year can you rent an Arvada STR?
Up to 240 days of guest occupancy a year, tracked in an annual log you submit to the city. Stays must be at least 2 nights and under 30.
Q.Does an Arvada STR permit transfer when you buy the house?
No. The permit terminates when ownership transfers and doesn't run with the property, so a buyer applies for a new one.
Q.How many STRs can one person run in Arvada?
Up to three in the city, one per lot, with one reservation at a time per property.

Sources

Covest LLC is a licensed Colorado real estate brokerage. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice, and rules change. Confirm current requirements with the City of Arvada before you buy.

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Let's Find Your Arvada STR With Covest.

One call with Shalom. We'll check the permit path, the 240-night math and the HOA before you write an offer.

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